As usage of wireless technology expands, Wi-Fi chipsets are employed in many types of devices and Wi-Fi applications have expanded to cover more than its core networking market. Today, Wi-Fi is found in smart phones, tablets, peripherals, TVs, set-top boxes and the like. Emerging Wi-Fi technology includes a Wi-Fi Display (WFD) system with an ability to transmit audio-visual content over Wi-Fi and encompasses cable-free operation in living rooms. WFD enables consumers to mirror the display of a mobile device on another display in real-time to reliably move and view content among various devices.
WFD discovers, connects and renders multimedia content sourced from a WFD source device to WFD sink devices. A WFD source is a multimedia content provider which sends content information to WFD primary sinks and WFD secondary sinks. WFD primary sinks are capable of rendering both audio and video streams whereas WFD secondary sinks render only an audio stream, with an optional coupling existing between these sinks. As per a known WFD specification, multiple sources are not possible in a Wi-Fi display session, only one WFD source with WFD primary or secondary sinks are possible in a WFD session. Non capable WFD devices cannot participate in the operation of an already existing WFD session. The standard requirements of the known existing WFD specification require that if a new device with WFD capability desires to share its multimedia content and participate as a source, a first existing WFD session has to be terminated and a regrouping performed. Further, a new WFD session begins with the new device acting as the WFD source. This is a time consuming process. Moreover, if the new device is not WFD enabled it further requires Media Access Layer (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) changes so as to participate as a source in a WFD session.
Therefore, known systems fail to comprehensively allow an interested non WFD device to participate as a WFD source in an existing WFD session. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and related problems.